NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico set a record for direct visitor spending of $8.6 billion in 2023, surpassing the previous record of $8.3 billion set in 2022, the New Mexico Tourism Department announced Wednesday.
The department attributed the 3.8% increase in visitor spending to an estimated 41.8 million visitors to New Mexico in 2023.
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The state also saw an increase in international visitation last year.
The Land of Enchantment welcomed 680,000 international visitors in 2023, a 34% increase from 2022 and matching the pre-pandemic level the state saw in 2019. In total, international visitors spent an estimated $607 million during their trips to New Mexico in 2023. For context, the average domestic visitor spent $194 per trip to New Mexico in 2023, whereas the average international visitor spent $898 per trip.
“Witnessing such a sharp increase of international visitation, along with another boost in overall visitor spending, is an encouraging sign that the awareness and appeal of New Mexico as a leisure travel destination continues to grow,” Acting Secretary Lancing Adams said in a news release.
In addition, direct visitor spending in 2023 supported an estimated 72,008 jobs in New Mexico, representing a 2.2% increase from 2022. Overall, the total economic impact of tourism in 2023 generated $811 million in state and local taxes for New Mexico, according to the tourism department.
